Tag Archives: christian poetry

Poetry Sunday: Anger Is

April 10, 2016 Effie Barba 4 Comments

Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speaking, As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. I Peter 2:1-3

Anger, jealousy, bitterness are all signs of a much deeper issue of the heart. Usually these are the manifestations of how broken and scarred our own hearts are. Often, our reaction is a result of our own fears of inadequacy. We protest most loudly when deep in our heart of hearts we fear they are right. “Maybe, I am unlovable. Maybe, just maybe I am a failure.” Other times, we lash out with anger at another’s injustice; yet, deep inside we only want to say, “Well at least I am better than that person.” The truth being when I react to another’s anger with anger, I become the very one I am bitterly denouncing. Look at what Peter said, “Lay aside all the anger, bitterness, hypocrisy, jealousy, and gossip.” How? “By reading the word, drinking in the grace of Jesus. Once you have truly tasted the blessed sweetness of grace; how, can you allow anger to grow. When we trust God’s Sovereignty and remember all that He has forgiven in our lives; forgiveness and grace will fill our hearts.

Anger Is

By Effie Darlene Barba

Anger is that thought hidden deep inside

Rising up to defend our injured pride

Anger is the scar from a broken heart

Using words to hurt like some poisonous dart

Anger plants itself first a tiny seed

That grows into a thorny wretched weed

Choking out all hope of love, faith, or joy

Doing Satan’s work, oh so sly and coy

Anger is the sign of a heart of sin

Pushing, striving wanting always to win

“How dare you to hurt me, why don’t you see

It’s not about you, it’s all about me”

Anger pours forth like a cold winter rain

With shards of ice inflicting hurt and pain

While all the time it truly hurts the most

The angered one whose innocence does boast

My Lord, I need your gentle touch of Grace

I need to see your righteous, loving face

So, I might cast aside this selfish pride

That You might heal my broken heart inside

For when I truly cherish Grace you see

No trace of anger can abide in me

When the truth of Your Sovereignty does rise

Only then can I fully realize

Any anger my heart would entertain

Is against the plan Your Will did ordain

So as the fullness of truth comes into view

Anger is a sign of my doubting You

How could it be my wretched, sinful heart

Allowed an angry thought to even start

Only your grace can cleanse my heart of sin

Your love restore anew Your joy within

Let forgiveness and Grace be what I give

To everyone I meet each day I live

Singing forth your praise with great jubilee

As from anger’s curse I have been set free

It was your perfect grace that loved me so

So, please Let Grace be all my heart does know

And in faith as I trust Your plan for me

Let Your dear Grace be all the world does see

©Effie Darlene Barba, 2016

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Poetry Sunday-Journey Through This Rugged Land

March 27, 2016 Effie Barba

In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.Psalm 62:7

Journey Through This Rugged Land

By Effie Darlene Barba

As I gaze back over my years

The wretched scars, rivers of tears

This journey long through rocky land

That all of this, all as You planned

For in the midst of sorrows here

I heard Your voice as You drew near

The Joy I sought from all these things

This world could give, had taken wings

When all was gone and all seemed loss

I saw Your Son upon that cross

His Love reached forth to rescue me

My selfish Heart He did set free

‘Twas there I came to realize

That with all lost, to my surprise

My Joy was now a flowing stream

More wondrous than my greatest dream

Love now filled this heart of mine

My heart enwrapped with Love Divine

And now I knew this pain took place

That I might learn of Your Sweet Grace

My Sorrows, pain You did allow

That I vain joys would disavow

This joy I know; this love I feel

Your Love, Your Joy You did reveal

Amidst my bitter pain and tears

You held my hand through all the years

You never let me slip away

Steady beside me you did stay

Patient, gentle with heart so kind

You waited, watched for me to find

You are the treasure I did seek

Your gentle kiss upon my cheek

Reminds me that You will my best

And on this promise I can rest

My journey long through rugged land

Has been the one True Love had planned

Whatever treasure of this earth I thought I desired, it was nothing compared to the joy, love and hope I have found in Christ Alone. He is the great treasure, the love, and the joy my heart had longed for. [bctt tweet=”Whatever sorrows I had to face to find Him, whatever scars I bare; it was worth it all to know Him”].

Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. Matthew 13:43-44

©Effie Darlene Barba, 2016

Christian Poetry

Poetry Sunday—A Broken Vessel’s Vow

March 6, 2016 Effie Barba

When two people take their marriage vows they enter a union which they hope, believe with last. As each begins to unpack the fears, traditions, pains, frailties and realities of who they are and what baggage they bring; there is the risk that all the brokenness can split the marriage. For within each of us is brokenness which we bring to the union. Too often we enter with expectations. Expectations that the other person will fill the empty recesses of our own hearts. As you know from the series I have been writing that was the case. Pete and I both had arrived with a lot of baggage. Then, a miracle happened. God reached down to touch my heart and fill me with a deeper love than I had known. For me to lay aside my brokenness to vow to stay and love no matter what because I saw the beauty of who Pete could be in Christ. Well that was God’s miracle of Grace!! God, alone could give me the strength and the love to do that. In the process, God alone was healing my brokenness as well. What a mighty and wondrous God He is!!!

¹⁸The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit (Psalm 34).

A Broken Vessel’s Vow

By Effie Darlene Barba

Two hearts had joined as one that day

And never saw the dark pathway

That lay ahead and lay behind

Two hearts that joined in hope to find

A strength in love to shine a light

Upon their lonely darkest night

Each had brought with them their fears

Their brokenness and all their tears

And as their story did unfold

Two broken hearts their sorrow told

It wasn’t what they’d hoped that day

Can broken hearts still find a way

A miracle is what they’d need

If ever they were to succeed

God’s gracious love must touch a heart

To help them stay, to not depart

Two broken hearts can beat as one

Because of Grace from God’s own son

The broken hearts are me and you

I ran to hide, to bid adieu

And then I saw your tear stained face

My heart was filled with love and grace

I saw the beauty of your heart

The tenderness you could impart

A brilliant mind so trapped within

I saw the man you could have been

If only you had known God’s love

His strength could help you rise above

And so I vow to love you dear

Today and through each passing year

My strength must come from God alone

As now I bow before His throne

I’ll lay aside all my desire

That God might flame my passion fire

To rise within to find the strength

That I might go the final length

To love you better stronger still

For this I know has been God’s will

I cannot pretend to know what obstacles you may be facing today; but, what I do know is God understands. I ask that you seek Him and His guidance. If He then leads your heart to love no matter what, then He will show you the way. His love filling the heart of one can transform both hearts—that is His miraculous Grace at work. I would love to hear from you or if you have a poem you would like to share, please use the comments below or email me.

Photo courtesy of https://unsplash.com/pichler_sebastian

©Effie Darlene Barba, 2016

Christian Poetry

POETRY SUNDAY Out of the Ashes-A Joyous Love Song

February 28, 2016 Effie Barba

All too often as we face the trials, pains, and sorrows of this life; we don’t understand why or how God would allow this. It is those moments when we become so undone by all that surrounds us and the desperate despair within. Yet, it is an all wise Sovereign God who because of His tremendous love for us allows the sorrows, the pains, and the evil of this broken world to touch us. He steadies His Hand of Justice so that He can reach out His hand of Grace and draw us in closer to His Bosom. He knows that this heart of mine would be so content with counterfeit joys that I could never find the fullness of Joy He holds for me in Christ. He knows that I would cling to lesser loves and lesser treasures if He did not tear them from my hands so I could see Him. Ever tear I shed, every pain I have born, and every dark night had great purpose in God’s Hand of love to turn my face toward Him. What I might have once thought of as my undone, I have learned was God’s doing miraculous and wondrous things for me. What amazing grace, mercy, patience and love He has shown to this undeserving heart. What joy, peace, hope and strength I have found in Him.

Out of the Ashes-A Joyous Love Song

By Effie Darlene Barba

I don’t understand

Why the nail scarred hand

Why you had to bleed

To fulfill my need

Oh can you help me see

This great mystery

Why the joy we sought

With your blood you bought

Yet, we’re blinded still

Unyielding to thy will

Because we think to gain

There should be no pain

When the trials come

We become so glum

As we cry unfair

Screaming “Are you there?”

(Bridge)

Gently, so gently you reached out your hand

To cradle me there to help me to stand

It was love that allowed all this sorrow and pain

To awaken my heart to the darkest of stain

If never I walk through the darkest of night

I can never find joy in your glorious light

Until I was broken, my life was undone

I loved from afar your precious dear son

It was there in the darkness that you drew me in

Alone there and broken my heart you did win

It was there you unveiled this great mystery

That I couldn’t see you when I’m looking at me

Out of the ashes to my heart’s surprise

A joyous love song began now to rise

My Broken heart

Was a brand new start

Helped me understand

The nail scarred hand

Helped my eyes to see

That the victory

Was already won

By your precious son

So whatever pain

Torrential rain

In your love I hide

In your joy abide

My Broken heart

Was a brand new start

Helped me understand

The nail scarred hand

Helped my eyes to see

That the victory

Was already won

By your precious son

So whatever pain

Torrential rain

In your love I hide

In your joy abide

Much like Paul told Timothy, “Do not weep for my imprisonment, my pain, my beatings, the stoning, or my suffering…” “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (2Timothy 1:7). “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory (2 Corinthians 4:17)

I don’t know where you are along this journey; but, I do know this. [bctt tweet=”God’s love is bigger than your heartbreak.”] [bctt tweet=”God’s strength is big enough to carry your heaviest burden.”]In Christ you have everything that you need to find hope, joy, and love—in Him, you will rise above all life’s trials. Even if you don’t realize it yet; He will show you the way to full happiness in Him no matter what circumstances surround you.

Photo by permission https://unsplash.com/b3njamin

Christian Poetry

Poetry Sunday—Grace So Grand

February 21, 2016 Effie Barba

Do we really understand how great a grace we have been given? That God, the creator of the Universe, would give His only son to die that we might be saved. If I truly understand the magnitude of God’s Grace and Love toward me, would I ever be filled with sorrow or despair? Could I ever complain or worry about any of the trials I face here on earth? It is a grace so grand that reached down to love me right where I was. It is a grace so grand that continued to draw me closer to Him even when I turned my face to seek lesser things. It is a grace so grand that draws me still, ever closer to His Side. It has been God’s patience, love and grace that has gently taught me every step of the way drawing me ever closer to Him.